


A Little Bit Means So Much

by mcgarrygirl78



Series: Starting Over [11]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Drama, F/M, Family, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-07
Updated: 2012-04-07
Packaged: 2017-11-03 05:48:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/377973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She was coming to adore every facet of him but the father was amazing.  Having recently lost her own she found herself attracted to him the most.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Little Bit Means So Much

**Author's Note:**

> Even though Hotch and Beth are canon, I do add in my fanon that Sam Kassmeyer survived the Reaper’s attack and married Hotch’s sister-in-law Jessica Brooks. What, it could’ve happened. The title is from the Hall and Oates song, One on One. I may have been listening to it on repeat while writing.

“I win, I win!” Jack threw up his arms in triumph as Beth smiled.

“You might be the best checkers player I've ever seen Jack.”

“I'm really good.” He smiled.

“How did you get so good?”

“I don't know.” He shrugged. “I always beat Daddy too, except when he cheats.”

“Hey now,” Hotch poked his head out of the kitchen. “Daddy does not cheat.”

Jack looked at Beth, smiling as he lowered his voice. “Daddy sometimes cheats.” 

“I can still hear you.”

Jack laughed and it made Beth do the same. She’d come over for dinner that evening. Hotch made lasagna, and Jack helped. It was delicious and dinner was nice. There was much conversation about Jack’s school trip to the art museum coming up this week. 

Beth talked about her nine year old nephew Colin winning the science fair at his school. Jack liked science; he said volcanoes were his favorite thing. He also liked the planets. He and Beth started talking about Pluto not being a planet anymore and how it was sad. Jack wondered what would happen to Pluto now. Hotch had no idea but assured his son Pluto would be OK…it wouldn’t be forgotten.

“Wanna play again, Beth?” Jack asked, setting up the checkers on the board.

“I guess I can try to redeem myself.” She replied. “Is there anyone you can't beat?”

“Uncle Sam is the best checkers player ever. I only ever beat him once. But he taught me all kinds of cool moves that I use to beat everyone else.” Jack grinned.

“Uncle Sam sounds awesome. He’s married to your Aunt Jessie right?”

“Mmm hmm, but he's more than that. Uncle Sam is a hero like Daddy.”

“He is?”

“Yeah, he’s a U.S. Marshal and he captures bad guys trying to get away. He protected me and Mommy from George when he tried to hurt us.”

“Jack,” Hotch came out of the kitchen. “We probably shouldn’t talk too much about Uncle Sam’s job, kiddo. Some of his missions are secret.”

“Oh.” Jack replied. “Can I tell Beth about his plastic knees, Daddy? I don’t think that’s a secret.”

“Alright.” Hotch conceded. “You can tell her about the plastic knees.” He looked at Beth. “Jack finds this fascinating.”

“Uncle Sam has plastic knees?” Beth asked. She actually had no idea what he was talking about. What little she knew about Sam Kassmeyer she read in articles about the murder of Haley Hotchner. She surely wasn’t going to tell Jack that. She still hadn't found a way to tell his father.

“They’re under his skin, just like a superhero. They’re bionic.” Jack said. “He got them after the bad guy shot him so Uncle Sam couldn’t chase after him. He always says he knows when it's gonna rain now.”

“I bet.” 

“Uncle Sam is awesome. I'm gonna be just like him and Daddy when I grow up.”

“I thought you wanted to be like Luke Skywalker and destroy the Empire.” Hotch said.

“I can do both Daddy.” Jack replied. “I just wanna be a hero like you.”

“You're my hero.” Hotch kissed the top of his son’s head before smiling at Beth. “Bedtime’s in a half hour buddy so if you wanna play some more checkers then you better get to it.”

“Can I stay up later? I wanna hang out with Beth.”

“There's school tomorrow, Jack. We’ll have Beth over again soon and you guys can hang out some more. Maybe you can play a new game that she’s better at.”

“You want to Beth?” Jack asked. “You wanna hang out again?”

“Yeah.” she nodded. “I’d love to as a matter of fact. Now let’s see if I can get anywhere with this checkers game.”

“OK.”

Hotch smiled as he watched them from the kitchen. He wanted to give them a little time and distance; see how they handled each other. Beth was great with kids. She told Hotch that she adored spending time with her nieces and nephews. He also knew that some of her friends were parents. 

She was at ease with Jack. She didn’t talk to him like he was a baby or a grownup. Their conversations were easy and light. Hotch was really enjoying the evening, just as he had the first one they spent together. When Jack brought up Uncle Sam and George it really threw him for a loop. Beth didn’t know anything about that. 

She might have to someday but Hotch didn’t want it to be today. He hated that his son had to know. Jack wasn’t aware of all the gory details, thankfully, but he knew more than any child should. He knew the name and face of his mother’s killer. Hotch would never be able to forget that as long as he lived. Unfortunately, neither would Jack.

“Earth to Aaron.”

He came out of his own thoughts when he heard Beth’s voice. He poked his head out of the kitchen again and put on a smile. Both she and Jack were looking at him.

“I'm sorry, I was lost in thought. What did I miss?”

“You didn’t miss it yet.” She said. “I think I have Jack cornered…you might want to come and witness history.”

“She doesn’t Daddy.” Jack replied. “I can still win.”

Hotch came out of the kitchen, turning off the light. There was nothing left to do in there and spending the last half hour with them would be a good thing. He sat at the dining room table across from Beth, watching his son watch the board in heavy concentration.

“It’s your move, Jack.” She said.

“OK.”

He took a checker and jumped four of her men. Removing them from the board left Beth with two checkers. Jack still had three. He smiled.

“Your turn now.” he said grinning.

Beth slapped her forehead with the palm of her hand. It made the seven year old laugh. His father did the same.

“You really are good at this. Next time we’re going to have to play something I have a chance at, OK?”

“I've got lots of games. We can play them all if you want.”

Beth wanted that. She liked Jack and spending time with him was fun. Kids his age were always an adventure; she never turned down an adventure. She was glad they got along so well…saw what that meant to his father. It wasn’t always easy to date a man with kids. Hotch was more than that, he was a widower. 

He was a single dad with a demanding job and a lot of demons. But when he was with Jack he smiled more. He laughed, made silly faces, and kept the darkness far away. Beth wanted that Aaron more. She was coming to adore every facet of him but the father was amazing. Having recently lost her own she found herself attracted to him the most.

***

Jack and Hotch read two chapters of _Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator_ together. Then Jack said his prayers and his father tucked him into bed.

“Sweet dreams, buddy. I love you.”

“I love you too, Daddy. I had fun tonight.”

“You enjoyed beating Beth at checkers?” Hotch asked smiling.

“Yeah.” Jack smiled too. “See you in the morning.”

Hotch turned down the lights and left the room. As usual, he left the door cracked. Jack didn’t liked being in a completely closed room. He didn’t used to be that way when he was little but had been that way since his mother died. It was another side effect of all they'd been through. He needed easy access to his father in case he had a bad dream or he just didn’t want to sleep alone. It wasn’t often anymore that he climbed into Hotch’s bed but there were still some nights when they were bunk buddies.

Beth was waiting for him on the couch. She’d turned the TV on and a movie Hotch didn’t recognize was playing. He sat down beside her.

“Jack said he had a lot of fun tonight.”

“So did I.” she smiled. “He really is a checkers whiz. Does he play chess?”

“No, I haven’t taught him yet. Jason always said he would teach him and a part of me still wants that so much. Maybe that’s why I've been holding off. I'm good at it but have nothing on Jason. Maybe I’ll see if Spencer will teach him. He was like a son to Jason…he can pass the torch with that. Jack has a quick mind, once he learns something he can only get better at it.”

“But he can't beat Uncle Sam.” Beth replied.

“I'm sure he's working on it.”

“I'm figuring Sam’s knees aren’t really bionic.”

“I'm sure he can predict the weather though. I know my trick ankle can give me the forecast days in advance.” Hotch said.

“My elbow is the same way. How did Sam end up having double knee replacement surgery?”

“It’s a hazard of the job.” Hotch was cautious when he answered. “He took two bullets.”

“Well I'm glad he's OK. Jack is surrounded by so many brave and wonderful men and women. I'm just glad I don’t bore him.”

“I don’t think you could ever do that. He loves to just be a little boy. He likes games, puzzles, books, movies, and conversation. I think spending time with you is something he enjoys very much. Thankfully my son is a bad liar so if he wasn’t enjoying himself it wouldn’t be hard to tell. Tonight was great for us.”

“It was great for me too, Aaron.”

“Should I make some tea?” he asked.

“That sounds good.” Beth nodded. “Do you want to watch anything on TV?”

“No, but music might be nice.”

“OK, music it is.”

He got up from the couch and went into the kitchen. Beth turned off the TV, going over to the stereo. He had the satellite radio on one of the classic rock stations but Beth pressed the buttons until she found Mr. Mister singing _Broken Wings_ on the Lite Love station. This would probably be a good way to end the evening. 

When she walked into the kitchen, Hotch was putting the kettle on the stove. As he stood there, Beth put her arms around him from behind. He could only sigh when she pressed a kiss to the nape of his neck. She had to stand on her tiptoes to do that. Something about that fact was really sexy. Of course Beth thought everything was sexy with Hotch. 

They were getting closer and she liked that. When he wasn’t working, which was a lot, he wanted to spend time with her. Now he also wanted them both to spend time with his son. They’d even had two sleepovers. This was becoming a relationship. Beth wanted to talk about that a little but didn’t want to scare him. 

“Penny for your thoughts.” She whispered.

“Do you think you might want to, you know, do this?” Hotch asked. His voice was raspy when he said it; he was breathless. He didn’t know how she didn’t hear his heart beating in his chest. It was thumping so hard he was sure it would leap out right onto the stove. But he said what he was thinking. Nothing else could’ve come out when he opened his mouth.

“Do what?” Beth countered.

“Be with me.” Hotch turned around in her arms. 

He gave her Eskimo kisses, and then kissed her nose and her mouth. It felt amazing; he hadn't kissed her all evening. The peck she gave him when she walked into his condo only made him want more. The restraint he showed with Jack in the room surprised even Hotch. Her kisses were something he’d quickly been spoiled by.

“I am with you, Aaron Hotchner.”

“I mean…”

“I know what you mean.” Beth kissed him again. He pulled her closer as he leaned back on the counter. The kisses intensified, Beth moaning as her body felt his body.

“Say it.” He said as their lips barely separated.

“What do you want me to say?”

“I want you to say what you feel.”

“I feel crazy about you, Aaron. I feel like I never want to stop kissing you. I feel like doing a victory lap every time I make you laugh. Sometimes I feel like tearing your clothes off. I feel like you're the guy I want to cuddle with on a snowy night. I feel like this could be something that makes the both of us very happy. I feel like my mother might like you too much and then you'll never escape.”

“I'm not going anywhere.” Hotch caressed her face. The teakettle began to whistle and he reached back to turn off the fire. He had to focus on this right now; the water wouldn’t get too cold.

“What happened to Uncle Sam’s knees?” Beth didn’t know why she asked the question again but it was on the tip of her tongue. She wasn’t going to push but it was sometimes hard to control this need to know what happened to him, to his family. She couldn’t change it or erase the pain but maybe she could help to heal.

“A fugitive got the jump on him and shot Sam so that he couldn’t chase after him. He’s lucky to have survived what happened. In one sense it’s horrific, what we've all been through. But if it never happened then he never would've met the woman he truly loves. 

“I think that’s what keeps them both going. Everything happens for a reason and sometimes you can spend a lifetime grasping in the dark for it. But you'll find it. You chased me down in the park for a reason.”

“You were really cute.”

“Were?”

“Aaron…” she laughed, resting her forehead on his chest. Hotch wrapped his arms tighter around her. “You are really cute. You're so much more than that though.”

Hotch felt the same way about her. Yes, she was easy on the eyes. He loved her smile, her dimples, and her easygoing laugh. But he also loved how smart she was. Beth loved art, history, classic movies, and good books. She loved a challenge, hence doing a triathlon. 

She didn’t mind playing checkers with his son four times and never winning a single game. She could dance and she could bowl (kind of). She understood the importance of his work while also realizing they weren't going to talk about it much. Sometimes she pushed, sometimes she pulled, and sometimes she let go and walked away. She let Hotch take his time, which still amazed him. 

There were still things he didn’t know about her too. He was so busy guarding his own dark towers that he hardly stopped to realize that her love of talking didn’t always mean talking about herself. He knew where she grew up and some things about her family. He didn’t know about past relationships or dark moments in her life. Did he need to after knowing her for five months…not really? 

But he wanted to. He wanted to comfort her, make her happy, and make her feel good. He wanted to hold her, kiss her, and sometime soon lay her down and make passionate love to her. He wanted this. He wanted it with this woman. 

It was one of the most overwhelming but incredible feelings Hotch had felt in too long to recall. Maybe he hadn't ever felt this way. Being with Beth wasn’t being with Haley; the experiences were vastly different. So that meant the feelings were different too. Right?

“Penny for your thoughts.” He said, still holding her. His lips brushed across her hairline and he felt Beth shiver in her arms.

“If I don’t get out of here soon we’re going to be in a lot of trouble.” She replied.

“Will we be in good trouble or bad trouble?”

“Oh it'll probably be really good.” She kissed him. “But I should go.”

“You don’t have to.”

“Yes I do.” Beth laughed some. “Say goodnight, Aaron.”

“Goodnight, Aaron.” he grinned.

“Walk me to the door please.”

It took every ounce of strength she had but Beth moved out of his arms. She stepped away from him, reaching her hand back and smiling when he took it. They walked to the door together. Hotch went into the closet and grabbed her jacket. Once he helped her put it on, they spent some time kissing again.

“We were supposed to have tea.” He whispered.

“I’ll take a rain check.”

“Text me when you're home safely.”

“I will. I had a great time tonight.”

“Me too.” Hotch kissed her nose and then opened the front door. He didn’t like the idea of not walking her to her car but Jack was asleep. He never left his son alone. Beth understood that. Still, there was a pull in his stomach at letting her go alone. Maybe the pull was because he didn’t want to let her go at all. “Call me, Beth.”

“I'm sorry?” she stopped before walking out.

“Call me when you get home. It’s early and we can talk.”

“OK.” She smiled and kissed him one more time before leaving. Hotch stood out in the hallway watching her walk away. Beth couldn’t help but look back and give a little wave. He blew her a kiss and then she was gone.

Damn, she didn’t want to leave tonight. She wanted to stay and let whatever happened happen. Beth could feel it. She could feel it in the way he held her, the way he kissed her; the tide had turned. But she didn’t feel comfortable with Jack there. He had school in the morning and they would be in the next room going at it like horny teenagers. 

The last thing she wanted was to scar him for life. She’d get his father alone soon enough, she hoped, and then it was on. Wow, it was going to take a while for her body to catch up with her brain. Everything was tingling and when Beth sat in her car, she let out a moan when she sat down on the leather. She was definitely riding back to Georgetown with the seat heated. It mattered little that it wasn’t very cold outside. 

Starting the ignition, Beth turned down Sting coming through the speakers. She took her iPhone from her purse, opened her texts, and looked at all the ones she saved from Aaron. She couldn’t help but be sentimental that way. You couldn’t keep them in a shoebox tied with a silk bow but when he wasn’t there and she was missing him, it was something to look at and remember how good it was when they were together. Opening a new message, Beth touched the keys.

‘ _I have a gallery opening in Charleston in two weeks. Come with me_.’ –Beth

She waited for a response. Driving off and missing it wasn’t an option. She didn’t have to wait too long.

‘ _I’ll do my best. Long weekend_?’ –Aaron

‘ _Mmm hmm. Bed and breakfast_?’ –Beth

‘ _Oh yeah *g*. We’ll talk about it when you get home_.’ –Aaron

Now Beth was putting her foot on the gas and heading for the expressway. Sunday traffic in the corridor was hell; everyday traffic was hell. It might take her over a half hour to get back to Georgetown depending on what was happening and how slow people wanted to be while gawking at it. But she was feeling good so road rage couldn’t have her. 

Beth had music on the radio, she had the tingles, and two weeks to plan a very romantic turn of events. Tonight had been full of surprises and there might be even more to come when she got home. Just because she and Aaron weren't going to make love tonight didn’t mean they weren't going to be together. Beth was positive whatever happened would be worth the wait.

***


End file.
